While I wait for a call back from our vet . . . vaccine reaction, "reverse sneeze" ?

[Kashi]

While I wait for a call back from our vet, maybe someone here can offer up some advice ?

Pugsley is an 11-month old Pug/Beagle mix.
He's about 21.5 lbs.

Last Tuesday (so, 1 week ago exactly) he received an intranasal bordetella vaccine.

Since then, he has had these episodes where he makes this gaggy / snorty kind of noise. He stretches out his neck, his mouth is closed usually. His sides are heaving.

My husband said it sounds like he's got a case of the sniffles, and is trying to suck the snot back in. I think it sounds closer to the way our cat sounds when she's trying to expel a hairball. Either way, it is an awful noise.

He'll do the noise anywhere from 2 to 10-ish times in a row, several times a day. BUT - only at home, never when we're out walking or playing, not while he's eating, and not at night. Pretty much only when he's relaxed.

Any insight ?

[rainbow]

It sounds like reverse sneezing and that is harmless. My husky did it after he had the intranasal shot but it only lasted for a short while. Perhaps because Pugsley has the "squishy face" it lasts longer. Let us know what your vet says.

[Kashi]

I'll do that.

He's eating, drinking, sleeping, playing and all just as normal as ever, doesn't feel warm or anything.

Aside from this horrible noise, he's fine. It's *almost* more annoying than worrisome.

[rainbow]

It is a horrible sound. I remember the first time I heard it many years ago and I thought my dog was hyperventilating.

[Kashi]

Dr. J just called me back. She said that it sounded, from my description - not from hearing Pugsley, like a local inflammation or irritation.

She's going to leave some anti-inflammatory out for us to pick up tomorrow to use for a few days, and she will call us back on the weekend to touch base.

[want4rain]

awww poor Pugsley!! (and mommy!!) i can just imagine his stiff little legs bouncing off the floor. poor baby!! bet his poor sinus cavity has to be burning.

-ashley

[Rainy]

Bracheocephalic(sp) breeds are notorious for reverse sneezing and I think the vet should have seen your dog rather than prescribe something over the phone.It may sound like an inflammation but it also sounds like reverse sneezes!

[Purpledomino]

I just wanted to say that it does sound like a classic reverse sneeze situation. This was all new to me until I was the owner of toy dogs...my big dogs never did this. My Minpins...especially my female, have episodes of reverse sneezing quite often, and other toy owners I know talk of this too.

It sounds scary as heck...but apparantly is quite harmless from what I've heard. I'm thinking that there could be an irritant/allergy connection with it.

[Purpledomino]

Originally Posted by Rainy

Bracheocephalic(sp) breeds are notorious for reverse sneezing and I think the vet should have seen your dog rather than prescribe something over the phone.It may sound like an inflammation but it also sounds like reverse sneezes!

Oopsy....actually I did hear my Bullmastiff do a reverse sneeze once, and I guess he falls into this group. I wonder if the anti-inflamatories will help too...if it is reverse sneezing.

[Kashi]

I was actually surprised that she didn't ask to see us.

I would hazard a guess that she's going with the anti-inflammatory route first because of the timing of this sound starting - beginning within 2 days of receiving the intranasal vaccine.

And - if it *is* a reverse sneeze thing, it's not something that is harmful to the dog (from what I've read at least).

[bethaliz]

This is just something that squishy faced dogs do. It's nothing to be concerned about. I would be questioning your vet on the need for medication. There are 10 Shih Tzu in my family and I work with a local breeder. I also see this quite abit at shows with pugs, and peke's too. It has to do with the littl flap of skin and the back of their throat. Generally this "reverse sneezing" happens when the dog is over excited, worked up etc. But I've see it happen from a dead sleep.

You can wait it out, and it will stop. But it is kinda freaky. The fastest way to stop it is to place your fingers over their nose so they HAVE to take a break from their mouth. This causes the flap to drop. The dog calms down and presto, he's cured! I found this out in the show ring once when it started. My breeder, pluged his nose and it stoped instantly. I do it all the time now. It's a lot less tramatic.

So try the meds if you like. but honestly, with a squishy faced dog you're gonna see it again. so give the nose plugging thing a try.


Wishing you all the best

[Ford Girl]

I did hear the simple way to stop it (if its reverse sneezing) while it's happening it to rub the nose...something simple to try...kinda flat handed circular motion... Must do the same as covering the nose...

[Kashi]

While I tend to agree that it sounds much like the "reverse sneeze" thing - that does not explain why it started within a day of getting an intranasal vaccine, when it had not happened even once prior to that.

[Tommysmom]

Tommy just started doing that about 5-6 months ago, and he's almost 18 months old now. Nothing wrong with him, no reason for it - he just scared the living daylights out of me one day with it. It's pretty random, he'll do it off and on for a couple of days and then maybe not again for a couple of weeks. There was absolutely no reason at all though the first time, and he'd never done it at all until then, it just came right out of nowhere.

[bethaliz]

Originally Posted by Ford Girl

I did hear the simple way to stop it (if its reverse sneezing) while it's happening it to rub the nose...something simple to try...kinda flat handed circular motion... Must do the same as covering the nose...

I've never heard of rubbing thier nose, maybe it works with breeds that have longer muzzles?!? When I asked my breeder why she plugged their nose. She told me that they need to breath through their mouth to make the flap drop. So I guess if rubbing their nose makes them breath through their mouth.......

Originally Posted by Kashi

While I tend to agree that it sounds much like the "reverse sneeze" thing - that does not explain why it started within a day of getting an intranasal vaccine, when it had not happened even once prior to that.

With a squishy faced breed it was bound to happen sooner or later. We have 10 Shih Tzu's in the family they all do it, thought some more frequently than others. Roxie has a longer muzzle so she rarely does it, maybe once a year. Pixie on the other hand has hardly any muzzle and she does it every couple of weeks. By looking at the pic of your dog he seems to have a longer muzzle, so I doubt this will happen all that frequently, but I"m sure it will happen.

As for it starting after the intranasal vaccine, it probly just happened because the vaccine irritated his nasal passage and made him more prone to reverse sneezes. Our Lana is very short legged so in the spring when there's all that sand on the road from the winter when we go for walks and the the sand gets kicked up, it irritates her nasal passage ways. She gets the reverse sneezes for a bit, until the road sweepers come and clean the road. Many things can cause irritation and when the little flap gets caught, the breath through thier nose to try and get it to drop. It doesn't and they get worked up. So calming them down and pluging their nose works great. I wouldn't worry about it happening after the vaccine it was probly just the irritant started the ball rolling.

Wishing you all the best